Books of Interests to Seniors

Affirmative Aging: New Edition, edited by Joan E. Lukens. Published by Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, PA.

Aging and Spirituality: The First Decade, edited by James Ellor, Susan McFadden and Stephen Sapp, American Society on Aging, 1999. www.asaging.org

Aging and Spirituality: Spiritual Dimensions of Aging Theory, Research, Practice and Policy by David O. Moberg. 2001.

Aging: The Fulfillment of Life, by Henri J.M. Nouwen and Walter J. Gaffney (1974). Published by Image Books, New York, NY.

Aging Well: The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health by Jeanne Wei & Sue Levkoff.  Published by John Wiley & Sons. 2000.

Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development by George E. Vaillant. Published by Little, Brown & Company. 2002.

And Not One Bird Stopped Singing: Coping with Transition and Loss in Aging by Doris Moreland Jones. A source of healing in helping us cope honestly with feelings of loss in death, diminishing body function and other experiences related to aging.$12. www.UpperRoom.org/bookstore.

Celebrating the Rest of Your Life: A Baby Boomer's Guide to Spirituality, by David Yount, 2005. www.augsburgbooks.com

The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life, by Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D. Quill 2001

A Deepening Love Affair: The Gift of God in Later Life, by Jane Marie Thibault. Designed to enrich the spiritual life of older adults. $12. www.upperroom.org/bookstore.

Exit Stage Right: Conversations about the Drama of Finishing Strong & Dying Well, by Darrel Gilbertson & Lynn Anderson. Gilbertson and Anderson amplify the basic hospice message of 'dying well' by emphasizing 'finishing strong' with the help of one's spiritual essence. Very helpful for hospice and palliative care workers. Leafwood Publishers, Abilene, TX. 2008.

Faith & Mental Health: Religious Resources for Healing, by Harold G. Koenig, M.D. Published by Templeton Foundation Press, Philadelphia and London . Cost: $29.95.

Faith in the Future: Healthcare, Aging, and the Role of Religion by Harold G. Koenig and Douglas M. Lawson. Templeton Foundation Press. 2004

Finishing Well: Your Second Half of Living by Bob Buford. Published by Integrity Publishers, Nashville . 2004. Interviews with 60 remarkable people give insights into significance, life journeys and retirement planning.

Gettin' Old Still Ain't for Wimps by Karen O'Connor. True life stories to tickle your funny bone. Harvest Home Publishers, Eugene, OR. 

God's Path to Golden Splendor, by J. H. Martin, Publish America, Baltimore , MD.

GPS: God's Plan for Significance by Jerry and Shirley Rose. Designed for "boomers," this is a road map for happiness, fulfillment and significance in retirement years. SigLiv Publishing. Dockery House Publishing, Inc., Dallas, TX. 2006.

Growing Old in Christ is an anthology of serious theological reflections on what it means to grow old in today's world. Published in 2003 by the William B. Erdmans Publishing Company.  Available in bookstores.

A History of Old Age edited by Pat Thane. Published by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles . 2005. A review of how the Western World has treated old age.

Honoring African American Elders: A Ministry in the Soul Community, edited by Anne Streaty Wimberly. Published by Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2007.

I Never Found That Rocking Chair: God's Call at Retirement by Richard L. Morgan. 74 meditations focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects of retirement, such as adjusting to a new lifestyle and making financial decisions. $6.00. www.UpperRoom.org/bookstore.

I Will to You: Leaving a Legacy for Those You Love by Herb Brokering. Published by Augsburg Press. 2006. (Can also be used as a daily devotional.) www.augsburgfortress.com

It Ain't Over Till It's Over is a user's guide to the second half of life, written by William E. Diehl and Judith Ruhe Diehl. This book is a helpful guide to an active, engaged, and spirited retirement. Available at www.augsburgbooks.com. Online cost: $10.39 plus shipping and handling.

Keep Your Brain Young: The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health and Longetivity by Guy McKhann, et al. 2003.

Life After Fifty, edited by Katie Funk Weibe. Faith & Life Press, Newton , KS . (Ms. Weibe, a Mennonite, leads workshops on older adult ministry.)

Living with Purpose in a Worn-Out Body: Spiritual Encouragement for Older Adults, by Missy Buchanan, "Aging Well" columnist for the United Methodist Reporter. www.upperroom.org/bookstore.

Looking at Life through My New Bifocals by Jerry Brecheisen. Wesleyan Publishing House, Indianapolis, IN. 2006. Focuses on God's purpose for the second half of living.

My Time: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life by Abigail Trafford. 2003.

The Power Years, by Ken Dychtwald and Daniel Kadlec. Published by John Wiley & Son, Inc. 2005. Encourages pursuing dreams, deepening relationships, and achieving financial freedom.

Purpose and Power in Retirement, by Harold G. Koenig. Ideal resource for "boomers."Published by Templeton Foundation Press, 2006.

Rituals for the Celebration of Later Life, by M. Dosia Carlson. $4.95. Published by Geneva Press.

Settling In, by Richard Morgan. Musings of a retired Presbyterian minister after his first year in a retirement community. Guidance and hope accompanied by Scripture, prayers and reflections. www.upperroom.org/bookstore.

Significant Living. A magazine that celebrates life and faith after fifty. For subscription information, 1-800-443-0227.

Spiritual Marketplace: Baby-boomers and the Remaking of American Religion. Written by Wade Clark Roof, published by Princeton University.

Successful Aging, by John W. Rowe & Robert L. Kahn. Published by Dell.

The Wisdom of the World's Oldest People: Interviews and Photographs of 500 Supercentenarians by Jerry Friedman. Striving and thriving despite adversity is how this international group of elders describe their longevity.

Winter Grace: Spirituality and Aging, by Kathleen Fischer. This hopeful book demonstrates how the losses of aging can lead to freedom and new life. $12. www.upperroom.org/bookstore.